


Half Turn in The World

by AndyWBlackstorn



Category: 19th Century CE RPF, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Brazilian History, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26276449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndyWBlackstorn/pseuds/AndyWBlackstorn
Summary: A young woman in search of knowledge leaves her home to explore a completely unknown land, while trying to deal with the feelings that arise about her host's son. (Brazilian History Modern AU).
Relationships: D. Pedro I & D. João VI, D. Pedro I/D. Leopoldina, D. Pedro I/Marquesa de Santos
Comments: 2





	1. Chapter One

Leopoldina took another long breath as she boarded the plane, deeper than what she had given as soon as she stepped out of the house, luggage in hand. Now, everything seemed extremely right and in its right place, her luggage was properly checked and accommodated, she had already entered the passenger line and taken her seat, but still, as it was impossible to avoid, her heart was in Vienna.

She was determined to make this trip, having the opportunity to be one of the exchange students in the studies of mineralogy and botany was a tremendous privilege, something she had dreamed of, exploring a completely different world than she knew. However, now that she was on her way to Brazil, her heart was broken to leave her family behind.

She loved her father with all her strength and had fond memories of her mother, who had died when she was a child. Luckily for her, she was awarded a good stepmother, Maria Ludovica, for whom Leopoldina had real affection. She would miss Fernando, her brother who needed special care due to his health conditions, but he would be fine, the whole family would take care of him. And of course, she kept the thoughts away from just imagining that she would be away from Maria Luísa, that she wouldn't be with her every day, and that she wouldn't be by her side. It was terrifying, but Leopoldina had decided to grow up, to choose that adventure for the opportunity of knowledge and learning.

So, her plane finally took off, and the chill in her belly took over her, that's what being in the skies and starting the trip caused.

"So be what God wants," she thought, beginning a short prayer in thought, wishing that everything would work out.

________________________________________________________________________________

The plane would take about 6 hours to reach Rio de Janeiro, and even with all that time, Pedro still arrived late at the airport. He had followed his father's recommendations, no matter how reluctant he was to do what he was asked to do.

The Bragança family, more specifically its patriarch, Dr. João Maria de Bragança and Bourbon, awaited the arrival of the young Leopoldina Habsburgo, a newly formed archaeologist, who had enrolled in one of her college's programs for an exchange in Brazil, cataloging new possible discoveries in the areas of mineralogy. Knowing this, Dr. João left his home available to receive and shelter a student, and his home wasn't a common place.

He was the ambassador of Portugal to Brazil, and had been in this position for almost ten years doing the best in the area of diplomacy and maintaining good relations with both countries, his office and the embassy were in the same area as his home, a large property , Quinta da Boa Vista. It was there that Leopoldina would stay for the next two years.

Meanwhile, as much as Pedro was concerned with family matters, he rarely showed interest in diplomatic matters. On the one hand, he had agreed to study International Relations, hoping to please his father and make him more calm about his son's future. They needed a little hope after some disasters in the family.

Pedro's parents had separated when he was a child, which devastated him, but even so, his decision to stay with João was immediate. Carlota, his mother, was always temperamental and difficult, and between the two, Pedro preferred his father, unlike his brother Miguel. He and Carlota returned to Spain, while Pedro, his father and sister Maria Teresa stayed in Portugal. Still, the children visited their father and mother from time to time.

Precisely because of his reluctance with diplomacy, Pedro was somewhat distracted by his father's instructions to seek Leopoldina personally.

"I don't understand why I have to go when we have a driver for this" contested the stubborn young man.

"I know, but it will be much better for her to meet someone from the family right away, it will be easier for her to get used to us" explained Dr. João "and you can help her to orient herself, it must be difficult for her to understand Portuguese."

"Okay, just tell me her name and the day and time she will arrive" Pedro asked in a complaining tone.

Because he was in a bad mood and distracted, giving in more ill-will, Pedro barely understood the name of the student, wrote down "Carolina Habsburgo" and that she would arrive around 4 pm. Even so, Pedro left home at 4:30, which caused Leopoldina to despair.

Her plane had been very punctual, and now she was wandering around the airport, trying to find information about the Portuguese ambassador, who, it seems, no one knew. For a moment, she wanted to stop in a corner and give in to despair, but she couldn't give up, she couldn't just stay still, she was sure that the ambassador wouldn't leave her there alone, and that at one time or another, he would seek her out.

During Leopoldina's journey, Pedro also sought information, but about the last flight that had arrived from Vienna, confirming his extreme delay.

"My father will kill me!" he said alone, fearing the tremendous consequence that could come from being so sloppy.

He took a few more errant steps, walking among so many people who had just disembarked, and because of his lack of attention he ended up hitting a girl.

"Ouch!" he heard her say "couldn't you pay more attention to where you're going?"

Pedro would respond in the same angry tone, but her accent caught his attention. Recovering from the shock, the girl turned her eyes to the nameplate in his hands, clearly reading "Carolina Habsburgo". It made her slightly irritated, she had made her name clear on the forms and documents she had filled out. Even so, she resumed her composure, seeing that this boy was the one who had come to get her.

"I'm sorry for that, I was in a hurry, but I didn't do it on purpose, okay?" He tried to make it very clear, also annoyed.

"I believe you are looking for me," Leopoldina said, looking at the tall boy in front of her.

"You? I don't understand, lady, I'm really looking for someone, but I don't know if you know her" Pedro was still confused.

"Ah then, would it be Carolina Habsburgo?" she looked accusingly at the sign "I'm her, but I think you meant Leopoldina Carolina Josefa Habsburgo."

"Ah it was Leopoldina, not Carolina!" he was frustrated with the mistake "I'm an idiot, I was all distracted when my father spoke to me, but I'm sorry, I tend to talk too much."

"I can see that" Leopoldina crossed her arms and almost rolled her eyes.

"So" Pedro cleared his throat "I'm Pedro Bragança, son of Ambassador João Bragança, he asked me to meet you."

"Well, after that clarification I can say that it's a pleasure to meet you, Herr Bragança" she shook his hand.

"No, no" Pedro couldn't help smiling "you don't need formalities, just call me Pedro."

"That's nice, Pedro" she said the name trying to get used to informality.

They ended that disastrous meeting by heading to the Portuguese Embassy. Now, Leopoldina's journey in Brazil started for real.


	2. Chapter Two

Pedro and Leopoldina shared the job of carrying her bags, there were 5 of them in all, and the boy immediately thought that it was an exaggeration and it must have been full of expensive clothes up to the lid, but when he lifted the biggest suitcase, he discarded this guess right away. That suitcase was too heavy to have only clothes inside.

"Wait, wait ..." Leopoldina interrupted him immediately, in an unjustifiable despair for Pedro.

"What is it?!" He spoke right away, trying to understand all that.

"My verification instruments are there, they have to be loaded very carefully" she explained "they are fragile and expensive things."

"Okay, so I'll put it here in the back seat" he suggested, holding it gently and carefully.

Still, Leopoldina couldn't trust him, this guy was the same guy who had bumped into her less than an hour ago, God knows what he could do with her instruments.

"Let me do that" she interrupted him again, at which Pedro frowned, leaving her with the heavy work she had insisted on doing so much.

Still, he helped her and finally Leopoldina's precious luggage was accommodated.

They sat in the front seats of the car, and she watched Pedro drive for the first 15 minutes. By Leopoldina's accounts, he had done at least 3 dangerous maneuvers, which left her distressed and worried, soon assuming that he was irresponsible in traffic.

"Uh ... Is that how you drive in Brazil?" she was looking for explanations for that kind of behavior, without being so direct.

"Ah most of the times yes, I think I scared you, didn't I?" instead of looking embarrassed, Pedro ended up laughing "sorry, don't tell my father."

"Did you do it for pleasure?" she tried to be a little more direct.

"Yes ... A little bit yes, but it was more out of necessity" he shrugged "here it's a little difficult for people to respect each other in traffic, especially a traffic as busy as Rio, so if you don't be smart, they pass you by, and then you can cause an accident."

"I think I understand, it's something I didn't expect to find here" she was sincere.

"But I assure you that this is something typical of Brazil, by the way ..." Pedro narrowed his eyes, curious "did you study anything about this country before coming here?"

"Oh, of course I studied" she said, if Pedro knew her well, he wouldn't ask such a question, she had studied everything she could about Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro more specifically "I know about Pão de Açúcar, Christ the Redeemer, cable cars, favelas, Copacabana ..."

Pedro laughed again, realizing that she would continue this conversation for hours on end. His reaction confused Leopoldina.

"You speak like a typical gringa ..." he commented.

"Gringa ..." she had heard the term before, she was trying to remember what it meant "oh of course, it's slang for foreigners."

"That's it, now I believe you studied even before you came here" he said in a good-humored tone, but she noticed a compliment in his voice, which surprised her.

"Thank you for acknowledging my efforts, Pedro" she said heartily, and it was his turn to be surprised.

He had dated several girls since he was 14, and he was currently in an indefinite relationship with Noemi Thierry, sometimes he gave her his full attention, sometimes he didn't even care and let her go, until she demanded more attention. That was how he took the relationship.

But none of those girls had said anything like what Leopoldina had just said to him, it set her apart from the others immediately, but did that mean he was interested? No, definitely not. She was a pretty girl, no doubt, but most of all, she was his father's guest of honor, Pedro wouldn't be crazy about provoking João's fury and an international crisis.

He continued driving, while Leopoldina was distracted looking out the window, experiencing for the first time the air and the view of Rio. It was a beautiful city, even with the irregular and unattractive buildings. What really surprised her was the Quinta, the property was huge, with a big house and several offices. In the parking lot, there were few cars, and between the buildings there was little movement of people.

Leopoldina feared that the ambassador was too busy to attend to her at the moment, and even wanted to question Pedro about it, but the boy was much faster.

"Come on, my father is waiting for you" he encouraged her to continue the journey, realizing that she was apprehensive "and you can relax Miss. Habsburgo, he is very excited to see you."

"If it's so" she sighed "we will not keep him waiting."

They got out of the car and immediately, one of the house's employees emptied the trunk, taking Leopoldina's luggage. Pedro noticed apprehension in her again, he knew exactly what her fear was.

"Norberto, be careful with the heaviest suitcase, it's full of fragile things" recommended the boy and the employee understood.

Leopoldina smiled with relief at the recommendation, on how considerate Pedro had been on that issue. So she walked side by side with him, waiting for him to show her the way to Dr. João.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well ... My AU ideas strike again.
> 
> I had been studying Empress Leopoldina for a while, because she is part of another story of mine, but then I ended up getting excited, researching more about Dom Pedro I too, and thinking how things would be different in Brazil if they had a happier life. Well, this is my attempt to imagine that.
> 
> The characters are more based on what I have studied about them historically, but of course it has a slight inspiration from the Brazilian soap opera Novo Mundo (New World).
> 
> I highly recommend that you research more about the real history, about Dom Pedro I and D. Leopoldina, they were the first emperors of my country and their story is very interesting, so much that it inspired me to write this story. In fact, this story will change many things in real life, so it's an AU.
> 
> I hope you like my crazy idea, be sure to follow and comment, I'll be posting every Saturday. Until the next chapter.


	3. Chapter Three

Leopoldina was surprised again by the interior of the building. It conserved historic architecture, which revealed a little of what that building must have looked like hundreds of years ago. She dropped her historical remarks when she reached the door to the ambassador's office. Even with Pedro at her side to introduce her, she was still nervous.

"Well, I hope you're ready" he recommended her and the girl he thought had a sharp tongue fell silent, just nodding.

Pedro, without delay, opened the door, meeting his father on the phone, in an unfriendly conversation. Dr. João wasn't angry, just tired, and insisting on a subject that his interlocutor didn't want to agree with.

"I'll talk to you later, I'll give you the time to think, have a good day" he ended the call, noticing the presence of Pedro and the girl next to him "hello, son, I see you've done a good job, you must be Ms. Leopoldina Habsburg, it's a pleasure to meet you."

She was answering when Dr. João got up, with some difficulty. It was clear that he was overweight and one of his legs tugged as he walked slowly, he was certainly in pain, and yet, he was working and giving himself the luxury of greeting Leopoldina standing. Closer to her, he smiled warmly, squeezing her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Dr. Bragança, I am very happy to be here" she replied with all cordiality.

"Welcome to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, and especially to Quinta da Boa Vista" the ambassador received her, speaking with a slight Portuguese accent "be our guest here and if you need anything, speak directly with me."

"You are very kind, I don't even know how to thank you for all that you are offering me" she replied, embarrassed by so many kindnesses.

"No need to thank me, it's an honor to receive one of the best students from the University of Vienna in my house" Dr. João said, maintaining the same sweet and paternal tone  
"now tell me something, and be honest please, Pedro was kind to you?"

"Ah yes, sir, we just had a ..." she searched for a suitable word.

"Wonderful meeting!" he tried to fix it, but it was in vain, his father didn't fall for it "disastrous meeting, I confess, it was all my fault, but in the end, Leopoldina got here and that's what matters, now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Noemi before she busted me. Bye, Leopoldina, and good luck with everything."

The boy left in a hurry, while his father shook his head in disapproval and the newcomer was left without understanding anything.

"Is he always like this?" Leopoldina had the courage to ask.

"Yes, a little distracted and helpful when it suits him, but my son is a good boy, believe me" explained the ambassador "but tell me, miss, what did he mean by disastrous?"

"Oh, we literally ran into each other at the airport, Pedro was late and we met by chance, but as he said, everything worked out in the end, he was very attentive to me" guaranteed Leopoldina.

"Well, that's a relief" João sighed relieved "but look, I'll stop filling you with these conversations and let you settle down, pack your things, rest and see you again at dinner, okay?"

"It's great, thank you" she smiled again and then left, following the ambassador's recommendation.

Leopoldina's room was much more spacious than she imagined, her bed was anything but modest and much more comfortable, and besides, the ambassador had been so attentive that there was a mini office in the corner, a desk, swivel chair and some shelves above. The archaeologist couldn't be happier and more grateful with such attention and affection from Dr. João.

Without further ado, ignoring the tiredness she was feeling, she started to pack her things, being very quick and practical in this process. She even thought about taking a nap, but she thought it was better if someone came looking for her, she would be embarrassed to be found sleeping. However, the ambassador had been very clear about her resting. Without reluctant to herself, Leopoldina took a nap.

No one disturbed her and when she woke up, looked at the bedside clock and saw it was 6:43 pm. It was time for her to prepare for dinner. Before that, she did something very important, sent messages to the family, saying that she was fine and was already staying at the home of the Portuguese ambassador, who had been very kind to her.

"Wait, Pold, don't hang up that fast, unless you have an appointment for now" Maria Luísa had called when she received the message, and was having a rather long conversation with her sister, wanting more from her company and curious to know more about Brazil "how are things there? Completely different from here, I know, but is the place as beautiful as it appears in the photos?"

"More beautiful than in the photos" sighed Leopoldina, as the nature lover she was "I am really delighted with Rio de Janeiro, and I can't wait to start my studies."

"It's very good to know how happy you are, it already makes me relieved, despite missing you" replied Maria.

"I know, but we will talk to each other every day, and I promise that in two years I will return home" said Leopoldina "but now I really have to go, like you said, I have another appointment, I need to get ready for dinner ."

"Okay, then, take care sis and see you tomorrow" Maria Luísa wished.

"See you tomorrow, Luísa" Leopoldina hung up, with a smile on her face for that conversation.

She then got ready, dressed formally, afraid of looking too sloppy, and so she went down to the main hall, heading for the dining room.


	4. Chapter Four

Leopoldina continued to be enchanted with the place where she was staying when she came across the beautiful dining room. The chandelier, even at the top of the ceiling, drew attention and reminded us of old times again, together with the landscape of the big picture hanging there, which portrayed an army riding the banks of a river, it was a beautiful image to see, which inspired courage. The archaeologist stood there for a moment, staring at the painting, when someone took her out of her state of contemplation.

"Good that you liked the painting, at least I think you liked it" the other girl who arrived there made a little joke, being friendly, managing to make Leopoldina smile.

"Sorry, we weren't introduced, I'm Leopoldina Habsburgo" said the guest.

"Ah yes, I thought you were, my father sent me here to keep you company, he will be a little late, unfortunately" explained the girl, extending her hand, which was shaken by the other girl "I'm Maria Teresa, daughter of Dr. João."

"Oh you mean he has a daughter? I didn't know" confessed Leopoldina.

"Yes, in fact we are in three, Pedro, me and Miguel" she said more "my parents are divorced, my younger brother preferred to stay with our mother in Spain, and me and Pedro in Portugal with dad."

"Ah yes, I'm sorry for that" the archaeologist was a little sad about that fact "I didn't know about it."

"There is a lot that you don't know about my family, by the way" Maria Teresa said in a laughing way.

"Is that a bad thing?" Leopoldina was in sincere doubt.

"No, I don't think so, it's good, but since you're going to be with us for a long time, I think it's important now that you know that" Teresa explained patiently, saying her opinion "but tell mw more, I don't know much about you either, with all due respect, more than you are an archeology student who came to exchange."

"Ah yes, in fact I already have a bachelor's degree in Archeology, I graduated last year and this year the opportunity for an exchange came up and I couldn't miss it" Leopoldina was excited to mention the subject.

"Even if it was an exchange in Brazil? Some foreigners aren't very fans of this place" Maria Teresa was sincere.

"I confess that there is a certain bad reputation of your country out there, but to be honest, every country has its problems and its own beauties, that was more what caught my attention, so that I came here" Leopoldina argued.

"You're right about that, Rio is beautiful, despite the problems it faces" lamented Teresa "but I really hope you enjoy your stay here."

"I'm already enjoying it, thank you Maria Teresa" she smiled at his friendliness.

"Oh good, you're getting along, I believe" Dr. João interrupted them gently.

"Dad, are you okay? Did you manage to get down without much difficulty? You should have called me to help you" Maria Teresa ran to her father's aid.

"It's okay, Tez, don't worry" he smiled in gratitude for her concern "I thank you for keeping our guest company and for waiting for me, I won't delay your dinner anymore."

"No, not at all, sir," replied Leopoldina, understanding the situation.

She then sat down with the two members of the Bragança family, slightly missing Pedro. However, the food served in front of her began to concern her more than the boy's absence. Leopoldina looked at rice and mashed potatoes, plus some type of salad that she couldn't recognize, and finally, the stewed meat was what amazed her. The seasoning on the plate had a rather strong smell.

"You can serve yourself, feel free, please" Dr. João urged her to act, realizing her hesitation, which could be a type of shame.

"Of course" she said automatically out of politeness.

If being in a new country and facing food that she didn't know was part of the adventure and experience, she would face it head-on. She served herself and tried the meal, feeling that the meat really was stronger and foreign to her palate, as she imagined, even so, she didn't leave his plate full and finished everything. It had really been quite an experience for Leopoldina.

Meanwhile, Pedro faced something much more difficult than a different and unknown food. On the contrary, he knew Noemi very well, or at least thought he did. His girlfriend was angry with him, calling him the worst possible names, until she hit him with stabs that Pedro managed to easily deflect.

"I know you were with another girl last weekend!" Noemi shouted.

"Ah so that's what this fury is all about? Honestly I don't understand you" he scratched his head in the face of such confusion "one day you charge that I don't give you enough attention, the next, you think I don't give you time to be alone. How did you expect me to be? That I would be quiet waiting for your good will? I went out with Carol, yes, but it was only that day, and it's not my fault that she posted on Instagram, Instagram is hers and she posts whatever she wants."

"You mean you have no regard for me?! What does our relationship matter just because I want a break from you at one time or another?" countered Noemi "so, if it's time you want, take it!" she slapped him on the face before proceeding "get out of here Pedro, I broke up with you, don't look for me anymore!"

"With pleasure," he said with relief and left, still feeling the pain of the slap in his face.

It wasn't the first time that he had been through such a situation, nor would it be the last. Defeated, only thing Pedro could do was to go home.


	5. Chapter Five

During the dinner, Leopoldina shared her stories from Austria while listening to the misfortunes and good memories of the Bragança in Brazil, told by both João and Maria Teresa. The conversation was so friendly that it helped the Austrian to feel more comfortable in the new environment. Suddenly, the pleasant atmosphere was cut by a wounded Pedro who arrived at the dining room, with an unhappy expression on his face.

"Good evening, folks" he said in an annoyed tone, placing his plate unceremoniously, filling it with food, without caring what his family or Leopoldina would think of it.

"Good evening Pedro, and good night for your manners that seem to have stayed out of the gate" Maria Teresa commented sarcastically, indignant at her brother's attitude.

"Leave me alone, Maria Teresa, my night wasn't easy at all" he complained, and continued to eat.

"I imagine not," replied the sister suspiciously.

"Could you be more polite, my children? Did you forget our visit?" João asked heartily, caring about the presence of Leopoldina.

"It's okay" she answered automatically, she didn't want to be a nuisance in the family or take away their privacy and particularity.

"What happened to your face?" the father turned to the son, since the boy had a swollen and purple face.

"We know well what that can be, Daddy" suggested Maria Teresa, in a tone that asked that this matter be forgotten for now.

"Right" João replied, noticing the subjective message of his daughter.

Leopoldina felt ashamed for the whole situation, embarrassed to see an argument that seemed to be constant for the Braganças. Certainly Pedro was quite a figure, from the way they met at the airport, to his escape and now his sudden appearance back. Really the mark on his face seemed to be a huge bruise, so that even the guest was worried about what had happened to him.

Even so, she excused herself and left, with the excuse of starting to organize her study schedule. Leopoldina would really do that, but even if she had nothing to do, she would manage to get out of the room that had a strange atmosphere.

As soon as she left, João and Teresa turned to Pedro, waiting for him to tell at once what had happened.

"Okay, I'll tell you what happened, just stop looking at me as if I were a being from another world" Pedro sighed and crossed his arms, still angry "Noemi slapped me in the face and broke up with me."

"I told you that going out with that girl wouldn't work' recalled Tez 'you betrayed your girlfriend, Pedro, what did you expect?'

'Oh don't give me a lecture, you don't know what Noemi was like" he complained some more.

"I know, I knew enough to say what she is like" replied Teresa firmly "you were too liberal with each other, it seemed that your commitment was worthless."

"It wasn't a commitment, it was an agreement" Pedro corrected "we could be with whomever we wanted, as long as it was nothing so serious, and we would be back together soon."

"Are you listening to yourself, Pedro? This is dirty, low, dishonest!" his sister was indignant, listing offenses to this type of behavior "a real hooliganism! Are you proud to be like that?"

"You know it's my way, that I'm impulsive, that I connect with a lot of people at the same time, that I'm popular, it's my karma!" He smiled a conqueror smile that only outraged Teresa even more.

She gave a frustrated sigh, tired of that discussion, proving once again that her brother was hopeless. She got up, going back to her room, leaving her father and brother alone.

"Are you going to tell me anything else, Dad?" Pedro waited for some more reprimand.

"Actually, I would like to speak to you when you are calmer" João replied, calmly and wisely.

"Oh good, thank you very much" Pedro got up and also went to his room.

He was so grateful that his father knew him so well that he left him alone when all he wanted was a little peace and quiet. Pedro threw himself on his bed and without even waiting 5 minutes, he was back on Instagram taking a look at his newest followers. He was right, he was an extremely popular boy, both in virtual social networks and in real social life. However, that sameness and repetition of looking at the cell phone screen tired him, making him pay attention to the pain in his face.

Leaving his cell phone aside, Pedro went after ice for his wound and it was there in the kitchen that João found him, the ambassador himself going to make a midnight lunch an hour after dinner.

"You didn't come here to eat more, did you?" guessed the son.

"No, I just wanted some chocolate, you know I can't resist a candy" João smiled kindly, confessing his mischief.

"Okay, I'm not going to fight with you for that" the boy laughed, enjoying the unusual situation.

"I should have a fight with you, Pedro, but I won't do that" your father approached him "as I said before, I just want to talk."

"Of course, tell me what you want, I'm prepared for the worst" Pedro accepted that he was in no condition to demand anything.

"Well, I'm sad to know that you and Noemi broke up, I liked her, but as your sister pointed out, you two had the same defect, being too liberal" João said.

"Dad, don't be so grumpy with me ..." the boy complained again.

"No, you got me wrong, Pedro" the father immediately denied it "I wanted to say that I understand you, you are young, having your romantic adventures is plausible for someone who is 20 years old, but just between us, being unfaithful, losing confidence of your girlfriend, even if you have a peculiar agreement, it's not good."

"I know" Pedro sighed, surrendering to reason "just that I have this impetus inside me, this crazy desire to meet every possible girl that interests me, without losing that opportunity, because you never know if I will find that same girl after, and then after we met ..."

"It's nothing like you imagined" João added "I know how it is, but have you never thought of finding a real love? Someone so important to make you want no one else?"

"Oh dad, I don't know, I don't really know" Pedro scratched his neck, uncomfortable "maybe one day, but not now, as you said, I'm still too young to think about these things, but I know I was wrong, it shouldn't be like that, I should try to be better, I just don't know if I can."

"One day, at the right time, you will succeed, I have faith in you for this" João assured, touching his son's shoulder.

"You have more faith in me than me in myself, Dad" Pedro shrugged, returning to be the laughing boy he always been.

Apparently, he and his father knew that he would have to go through many more setbacks until he left this life of womanizer behind.


	6. Chapter Six

Leopoldina woke up very excited that morning. She hadn't always been so willing when it came to studies, after all going to school and learning required efforts, but her education had been so varied, with good teachers from one of the best schools in Austria, that almost every interesting subject in existence drew attention her.

Now that she was about to start her exchange studies it was no different. She got up and drank had breakfast alone, understanding that John and Teresa had their own personal affairs to take care of, and Pedro, well, must still be recovering from the night before. She ignored the boy's thoughts and focused on what really mattered.

She left the Quinta, asking for a taxi as soon as she arrived on the main street and heading for the University of Rio de Janeiro. It was a more modest place than her college in Austria, but even so, she walked through the doors with a big smile on her face and her stuff at her chest. He asked the receptionist for information and then, trying to find his way around the new location, searched for her classroom.

Still excited, she chose the place she thought was the best place to sit, right in front of the crowd. Even so, she knew that being there would catch the attention of others if she answered all the teachers' questions. That was how she had made her first enemies in childhood, and she didn't want to go through similar situations like those again.

Then she waited until the place was full of students, some said hi, others didn't even notice her presence, but she didn't even care. On the one hand, Leopoldina was more excited about her studies than anything else at the moment. It was then that another girl sat down next to her, unintentionally they exchanged a polite smile.

"I hope you're not saving this place for someone" said the other student to Leopoldina.

"Oh no, not really, I don't know anyone here" the Austrian was sincere.

"I'm sorry to ask, but are you from the exchange?" asked the student.

"I am, I think my accent gave it away" laughed Leopoldina.

"Oh great, I am too" smiled the other girl "I came from England and you are German?"

"No, no, it's a common mistake, I'm from Austria, my name is Leopoldina" introduced the archaeologist.

"Ah yes, many people confuse even because the two countries speak German, I'm Maria" Maria said her name.

"Nice to meet you, Maria" Leopoldina was polite "are you excited to start?"

"I am" she confirmed "this place is fascinating and I really hope to discover something different here."

"I think that was what attracted my attention to come to Brazil" confessed the archaeologist "here everything is so different from Europe."

"True" Maria agreed "someone came to question you because you wanted to come right here? Because it seems that people are kind of afraid of here."

"Ah yes, yes, it's a very common thing to think that Rio de Janeiro is one of the most dangerous places in the world, and yet, we came here" Leopoldina laughed again "I think there is danger in every big city, we just need beware."

"Yeah, I think so" Maria reflected on the matter.

They were interrupted by the teacher, a short, bald man, wearing glasses, a little tired, but willing to teach.

"Good morning, I am Professor Jorge and welcome to your exchange in Botany and Mineralogy" he introduced himself "I hope you are already familiar with the entire schedule of our studies. First, we're going to start with the theory, I know, it's the most boring part, but then, you're going to love it when we get to the practical part, we're going to have excursions and everything, and literally get your hands on the dull. For foreigners, it's an expression that means that we are going to do the hard and practical work, okay? To begin, let's analyze the biology of very common Brazilian plants."

The teacher had a good way of explaining that he left Leopoldina focused and absorbing everything she didn't know about the subject yet. She had barely noticed the time passing, everything had been too fast in her opinion, which wasn't the same as the rest of her classmates, after all, studying was tiring. Maria, however, seemed to share the same enthusiasm as her new friend.

"So what are you going to do now, Leopoldina?" she asked.

"Well, I was going home for lunch, my host must be waiting" replied the Austrian.

"Ah I understand, but we could schedule something for later, we could compare our notes" Maria suggested.

"Yes, yes, I would love to! Who knows, even today, later, it will be fine for you?" Leopoldina proposed.

"Great, write down my phone and call me" said the Englishwoman and dictated the number that was immediately noted by Leopoldina.

"Okay, so see you later Maria" she said goodbye.

"See you, Leopoldina" Maria replied, saying goodbye.

For the archaeologist, her day was already over, her first botany class had been great and, on top of that, she had made a friend who would perfectly understand what it was like to be an exchange student in an unknown country. For everything to be more perfect, all she had to do was talk to Maria Luísa, telling everything.


	7. Chapter Seven

If for Leopoldina the day had been great and productive, for Pedro it had been just the opposite.

He understood the importance of studies, of having an area in which to specialize and grow as a professional, especially for someone in his family who was important and influential in Portugal. But that was exactly what Pedro thought ... well, for him it was unfair. It wasn't pleasant at all to do something he didn't like just to please others, but he had his reasons for insisting on continuing to study International Relations, to be proud of his hardworking father, and who knows, one day to be an ambassador like him. These weren't exactly Pedro's plans, but he knew he should be able to take care of the family business when the time came.

Despite so many reasons to study, economics was proving to be a real challenge. The calculations were difficult and his mind was easily distracted, losing the explanation completely, leading to frustration. When the class ended, Pedro shouted a loud "Thank God", which scared the teacher, leaving him indignant and making his colleagues laugh, in which Pedro laughed with them, mocking, at the end of everything.

Rising from there to return home, he was interrupted by his friend Francisco. Chico for the girls, Chalaça for Pedro. Chico didn't like the nickname at first, asking his friend how they could make up a word like that. It turned out that the nickname ended up getting between the friendship of the two boys. Chico was Portuguese like Pedro, a part of his family lived in the country and he ended up getting used to Brazil, taking root there.

"Hey dude? What's up today?" Pedro asked first, seeing his friend as a relief for his boredom.

"You don't even know, man, what it was that I took off for us" Franciso replied, excited.

"Oh no, don't tell me it is one of those schemes of enter parties we weren't invited to, we always get into trouble for it" Pedro remembered all the times that Chalaça tried to enter parties without being invited, just to look for a different girl each time night.

"No, nothing like that, I met a guy who is going to throw a party and who invited me" Chalaça explained better "he said I could take whoever I wanted with me."

"And of course you thought of me, thanks, man!" Pedro liked the news, but soon restrained himself, remembering his responsibilities "but I think i can't."

"What is it, Pedro? What is this thing of giving back now?" Francisco questioned, irritated.

"I have a test tomorrow and I'm doing very badly in my grades, I can't hesitate again, my father kills me" he explained the seriousness of the situation.

"Ah Pedrinho, since when did that stop you from anything? You always have the optional test" his friend brought him a solution.

"I don't know, man, this time it's different, but who knows ..." Pedro started to give in to Chalaça's wishes "I think I can manage it."

"That's more like it, man!" Francisco approved the friend's attitude.

For both of them, the night was planned, while Leopoldina was busy getting to know the place where Maria lived. An hour ago she had called her roommate, arranging to meet at Maria's apartment, and after a taxi ride, there was Leopoldina.

"Hello, I'm glad you came" Maria welcomed her "please come in."

The Austrian thanked her and entered, seeing that the place was modest, but decorated with some plants, which made her smile.

"I see you liked my plants" pointed the Englishwoman with a smile.

"Yes, yes, I couldn't help myself" Leopoldina smiled "yours are so beautiful ... They're Brazilian, aren't they?"

"Yes, if I brought mine from London, they probably wouldn't be able to handle the trip" Maria pondered.

"I understand you, I also had to leave mine behind" Leopoldina gave her a sad smile.

"I know how it is, but these are my new companions" Maria concluded "can I offer you anything? Tea or coffee?"

"Tea, please, if it's not too much trouble," Leopoldina asked politely.

"No trouble at all, it was what I was going to do" the owner of the apartment didn't mind the extra work.

It didn't take long and she was back in the living room, the two of them drinking tea together.

"I really liked your apartment " Leopoldina praised.

"Oh thank you" smiled Maria for the compliment "I preferred to rent a quiet place instead of trying to allocate myself to a family, don't get me wrong, it's that I like silence and tranquility."

"Of course, I understand, I would also choose a place of my own, but my father thought it best for me to move to a family home for the exchange, I would be safer and I would have more protection" the archaeologist explained.

"Is your father a protective type?" deduced Maria.

"A little, yes" Leopoldina confirmed with a chuckle "but even so he understood the daughter who wanted to come across the Atlantic."

"Sign that he understands and loves you" concluded the Englishwoman.

Indeed Francisco Habsburgo was always a loving and protective father, who nevertheless understood Leopoldina and supported her decision to move and live her own adventure of growth and maturation, which she was now more used to, content with her own discoveries.


	8. Chapter Eight

When Leopoldina thought it was getting a little late and she was taking too long at Maria's house, she decided it was time to go home.

"Thank you so much, Maria, for receiving me, it was very good to talk to you" she said saying goodbye.

"Oh, it was nothing, it's good to have a friend who has common studies with me, for a change " replied Maria, in the same friendly tone.

Thus, Leopoldina left her, returning to Quinta da Boa Vista, arriving right at sunset. She passed through the grand entrance of the place, entered the main house and went straight to her room, meeting no one on the way. She was about to call her sister, but then she was interrupted with a light knock on the door.

"Yes?" She said, wanting to be sure who it was.

"It's me, my dear, can I speak to you for a moment?" she recognized Dr. João's voice.

"Oh yes, of course, just a moment" she got up and opened the door "hello, Dr. João."

"Good evening to you, I would just like to know how you are, I noticed your absenc"- said the host "not that I'm invading your privacy, quite the contrary, I just wanted to say that you worried me a little, I didn't know you would go to another place after today's class."

"Ah, it was a little unexpected, I had the idea after meeting a classmate, she invited me to visit her actually, and I think I lost a little bit of time, that was all" she giggled bland "but don't worry, I'll let you know the next time I go out."

"Don't worry, don't even think that I want constant satisfaction from your life, I was only worried since you're new to the city, I thought if you hadn't gotten lost" João argued.

"No sir, I am also afraid of getting lost and I am very careful that this doesn't happen, I take a taxi a lot" Leopoldina explained, which relieved his host.

"All right, dear, well now that we understand each other, I'll make you comfortable" he said, withdrawing.

"Thanks" she thanked, which João replied with a smile.

It was impressive for her the care and affection he had for her, treating her practically as a daughter, even though she lived in such a short time at home.

But as for João's biological son, he was already somewhat more difficult to deal with than Leopoldina. Not that the ambassador didn't love Pedro in any way, but like any concerned father, he thought what would become of his son's future if he continued with that irresponsible routine without ever changing.

The calm of the house was interrupted by the arrival of Pedro, running to his room, trying to get ready as soon as possible. His intentions were to make the most of the time he had to go out and have fun that night. His presence didn't go unnoticed by his father, João knew well how Pedro ran, since he was a boy until he became the boy he was now.

"Are you going out tonight again?" João entered his room, without waiting for a formal invitation to do so.

"You scared me, Dad! Don't do that anymore, you can give me a heart attack!" Pedro complained, being startled by the sudden presence.

"Stop being dramatic, Pedro, it was nothing" his father replied, without being affected "I really wanted to catch you in the act."

"Act? I'm not doing anything wrong" Pedro purposely misunderstood.

"But we know that nothing good happens when you go out at night" his father pointed out.

"Wow dad, now you have offended me" the boy was irritated "I always come home safe and sound, without any problem, so why did you take it out just today to charge me?"

"Because the impression I had is that you were leaving without telling me" as always, João had the answers on the tip of his tongue for every unpolite question from Pedro.

"No, it's not like that, I was just going to get dressed first and then I was going to leave" Pedro tried to justify himself.

"Okay then" João was satisfied, since he saw that his son wasn't lying about his intentions to inform him "is it too much for your old father to ask you to be careful and not come back so late?"

"No, not at all" Pedro ended up giving a genuine smile "thank you and see you later!"

"See you, Pedro" his father said goodbye with some regret.

João missed him at dinner, Maria Teresa was used to it, but Leopoldina was intrigued again by Pedro's absence. Apparently, he didn't like being at home very much, but then, Leopoldina scolded herself. Pedro's nocturnal habits were none of her business, she was merely a guest there while he was a member of the family. She would remain in her place, but still, she couldn't help but worry about Pedro.


	9. Chapter Nine

The hours were already late. Three hours ago, Leopoldina said goodbye to her father, after talking a lot with him and keeping him informed of his studies and his life in Brazil. Seeing it was getting late, he said goodbye gently. For other people, it wouldn't even be that late, but Leopoldina took her studies seriously and, even more, her rest.

For others, as they say in Brazil, the night was still a child and that was how Pedro and Chalaça spent their night. It turned out that they were excited about the party they had been invited to, making the most of what was served and the company.

Even though it was late, João was unable to sleep. This happened almost every time Pedro left and didn't come back anytime soon, his worries pushed his sleep away. That night was no different, João sat in the living room, waiting only for his son to arrive. Eventually, Pedro came home, a little dizzy and unbalanced, due to the exaggerated way he had been drinking.

Still, he was aware enough to walk as slowly and quietly as possible, so as not to attract anyone's attention, but when the boy turned around at once, he came face to face with his father. Even sleepy, Joao seemed no less frightening.

"Good night, son, or should I say, good morning?" said the father sarcastically.

"Hi, Dad, just in case it's better to say hi" Pedro tried to escape "it looks like you are very tired so I'll let you sleep, okay?"

"Not so fast, I may be tired Pedro, but you're not at all, so we can talk anyway" declared João and Pedro knew he couldn't run away.

He sat down, knowing that he was about to hear a great sermon.

"Where were you until this time?" the father asked.

"In the same place I said I would go, at the party with Chalaça" Pedro was sincere.

"And you assured me that you wouldn't be back so late" the father reminded him "why do you lie to me like that, son? It’s the tenth time you’ve done it this month, you don’t even mind having class tomorrow, if it continues like this, what will become of your future?"

"No, dad, you're overreacting, it's not too late and my future is not tomorrow!" the boy tried to argue.

"Frankly, are you really going to scorn that way? I'm done, Pedro" João was more energetic "I'm serious now, if you don't take your studies more seriously, I swear I will send you to Spain to be with your mother!"

"Oh so that was what you wanted all this time" Pedro was clearly hurt "you prefer Miguel to me, okay, Daddy, soon you get rid of me and your son who didn't even want to live with you stays In my place! Miguel will love to get out of mommy's skirt!"

And raging, Pedro left his father talking to himself, losing patience too.

"Pedro, please, Pedro!" the father tried, but saw that it was in vain.

It was left to João and Pedro to get some sleep. The boy passed through the corridor, going to his room, stomping over there, which woke Leopoldina, who even heard Pedro's grumbling.

The boy was really unpredictable, like a force of nature, she thought. At least he was back home, safe and sound. After that interruption, she struggled to fall asleep again, but it was a little difficult. Both she and Pedro felt the fatigue increase the next day due to their unregulated sleep.

At the dining room table, the two touched the coffee bottle at the same time, that gesture made them both laugh, even though Pedro was in a bad mood for having to wake up early and for the fight with his father.

"Ladies first, please." He handed Leopoldina the coffee bottle.

"Thanks" she thanked, putting coffee for herself.

He did the same right afterwards, and for a silent moment, she was quiet eating her breakfast, trying to regain her energy. Pedro was distracted by his cell phone, but trying to be discreet when watching the boy, Leopoldina saw that what he was looking at was something serious, and it really was. He saw that his grades in general were far below expected and that if he didn't do something fast, he would fail in most subjects, practically missing the year. Confirming this made him sigh loudly.

"Are you alright?" Leopoldina had to ask, it was what she had been looking forward to doing since she started to worry about him "is there a problem?"

"Uh ... Several actually" he scratched his head, distracted, frustrated "but this one in particular is college, my grades, anyway, I should have been more responsible, but I can't seem to be."

"It's normal to have a difficulty here and there" she tried to remedy.

"No, in my case it's really laziness, but ..." he got tired of the conversation "I'll fix it, I have to."

A moment later, he finished his coffee, and got up in a hurry.

"Have a good day, Leopoldina" he said before leaving for good, without forgetting his manners.

"Good morning, Pedro" she wished, really hoping that he could solve his academic problem.


	10. Chapter Ten

Pedro was really willing to solve his problems, run after the loss and improve his grades. It's not that he didn't like to read, in fact, if he had to read something uninteresting to him, he gave the points to laziness and ended up doing nothing he should have done. That day, he was willing to do that.

After his class, he dismissed Chalaça's invitations to leave again, went straight home and started reading one of the books recommended in today's class. It was a collection about the political history of Europe and how it influenced politics and other countries today. The way the book narrated things was very tedious and lifeless for Pedro, which started to make him sleepy. Still, he was reluctant to himself, trying to stay steady in reading. At the end of the torture, I mean, study, at least he managed to understand and absorb the content of the book.

Meanwhile, after her class, Leopoldina was excited once again. That afternoon, she and her class would begin a week-long tour to Minas Gerais. They would visit an archaeological site, and could even assist the local expedition chief with the excavations. Finally Leopoldina would do what she had dreamed of doing so much in Brazil.

So, after her luggage and archaeological equipment properly prepared for the trip, she happily left for her destination. Before, of course, she would say goodbye to João and Maria Teresa, as for Pedro, after looking so disturbed, she wasn't sure if it was prudent for her to talk to him.

As a work of destiny, Leopoldina almost ran into Pedro again in the corridor, since the two had left their rooms at the same time.

"Hi" she blurted out first, while he looked at him questioningly.

"Hi, Leopoldina, where are you going in such a hurry? If you don't mind me asking" he saw that the question could be impolite.

"Oh I'm going to Minas, for a special expedition, we'll dig in a real archaeological site" she said, excited.

"Oh good, this seems to be a lot of fun for you, so, have a good trip" he wished heartily.

"Okay, thank you" she thanked, giving him a shy smile.

She continued on her way, leaving Pedro to his own problems.

"Be careful" João advised his dear guest.

"Tell us everything when you return" Maria Teresa asked.

"Oh, let me tell you, if there is one thing I love to talk about, is about archeology, thanks for your interest" Leopoldina smiled with those good wishes from her hosts and then left.

Her natural anxiety increased when, already at the university, she spent a long time on the bus that would take them to Minas Gerais. Most of the exchange students were already there, but still, Leopoldina missed Maria, who hadn't yet arrived. The heat of being inside started to make her sweat and even feel a little dizzy. For a moment, she considered going to ask the driver what was going on, but Maria arrived at the same moment.

"Are you all right? I was surprised at your delay" Leopoldina soon said to her friend.

"Oh I arrived on time, the problem is that the bus wasn't here yet, I ended up staying in the library for a while, waiting for it to arrive" Maria explained herself, which her friend thought was very reasonable.

"The way people here tend to be quite late" concluded Leopoldina and Maria ended up agreeing with a discreet chuckle.

They ended up talking about other things, despite the anxiety and excitement for the tour, and in the meantime, the bus was filling up.

"Very well folks "the driver suddenly stood up, placing himself in the middle of the corridor "we are going to leave, just let me make a call to see if no one is missing."

The man took a list and quoted name by name, luckily no one was missing, so he started the journey. Maria ended up falling asleep with the swing of the bus, which left her friend somewhat surprised. Leopoldina let her rest and, in turn, admired the landscape so exotic in her eyes that it was there at the window.

They took the road in stretches of civilization everywhere, but for most of the trip, she could see an open field, the undergrowth stretching for miles, with a funny tree in the middle of that immensity here and there. For Leopoldina, the trees had a funny shape, nothing like the trees in Austria. To surprise her even more, she still managed to spot some birds, small sparrows and even graceful herons. It all amazed her.

Finally, at the end of the day, they crossed the city entrance portal, where the archaeological site was. There Leopoldina had contact with another reality, as were the houses and the community in another state of Brazil.

Seeing that the bus was moving more slowly now, Maria gradually woke up.

"Are we there yet?" she yawned, trying to keep her eyes open.

"Ah we're almost there, Maria" her friend warned "but you missed the best part of the trip, the scenery is wonderful."

"Who knowa, I can stay awake on the way back?" suggested the Englishwoman, with a smile.

So, slowly, the students got off the bus, soon going to settle at the University of Archeology that would host them. More adventures would be left for the next day.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Minas Gerais certainly had an air different from Rio de Janeiro. First, one state was further inland than the other, especially the city of Rio, which was coastal. While Rio was busy, Minas Gerais was more peaceful, quiet, an excellent and inspiring place for any student.

That was how Leopoldina saw the archaeological site, while she and her colleagues entered the area. A new teacher, from the local college responsible for the studies there, appeared before them, showing how everything would work.

"I am Professor Rosa, it1s a pleasure to welcome you here, and I am sure we will do a great job together" she said to everyone aloud "I ask you to follow me, I will show you the place and where we will work."

The students followed her for a relative walk, walked through a forest, ahead, there was an open field all overturned, but well delimited, it was where the artifacts and living evidence of the people who lived there millions of years ago were found. This alone has already attracted Leopoldina's attention, but it wasn't their final destination. They entered a cave, equipped with flashlights and warnings to be careful where they stepped and not deviate from the main path.

On the walls, you could see the cave paintings, it was the first time that Leopoldina saw these paintings so close. She knew all the others found around the world, seen in books and new articles she researched, but being there so close, seeing detail by detail, resisting the urge to touch them, was simply indescribable. Professor Rosa detailed some more, as a true museum guide, what those symbols were and what archaeologists and historians had concluded from them. She had been so understanding with the excitement of some students that she even allowed them to take some pictures there. Maria and Leopoldina were included in this lively group.

After the tour, only then did everyone get their hands dirty, under the guidance of another teacher. The excavations began, and despite the hard work, of practically digging and digging without finding anything so easily, Leopoldina couldn't be happier.

When tiredness hit and even the teacher asked students to stop, she was rewarded with a rough piece of quartz. It wasn't a precious jewel or a great new discovery, but still, Leopoldina was happy to have something that she achieved with her own efforts and could take away as a memory of that day. Then she decided to do a full report on the stone, how it had probably developed on that soil and all the natural processes that involved it.

All of this would be an extremely boring thing for Pedro, who still faced his studies with boredom and tiredness, but even so, the boy made some progress. Leopoldina's week continued to be hectic and full of new knowledge, and so when she finally had to return home, she was a little sad to leave Minas so soon, but made herself a promise to return there when she could.

When she returned to the Quinta, she was surprised to see Pedro there, concentrating and studying. She was already used to their unexpected encounters being quite disastrous.

"Hello" she said first, careful not to disturb his reading.

"Hi, hi, you're back" he said in a somewhat surprised way, which might even sound a little harsh, but it was his tiredness, Pedro scratched his eyes to be more awake "I mean, not that I think it's bad that you come back, no that's not what I meant."

"Yes, yes, I understand "Leopoldina was understanding, noting the book he was reading.

"Leopoldina, can I ask you something?" he seized the moment and had all her attention turned to him.

"Of course, Pedro, if I can help" she gave him a simple smile and sat with him at the table.

-I realized how much you are studious, honestly, I don't know how you do it" Pedro ended up laughing, but out of pure amazement "seriously, I have been struggling with myself to be able to study, I wanted to know what you do, who knows, it helps me."

"Oh well, I just like to read and learn new things" she shrugged, as if it were the simplest question in the world "that's what motivates me, but do you have a hard time learning?"

"Learn?" Pedro pondered the concept, with a hand on his chin "no, I can learn, the problem is ... my lack of motivation, I think. I know that what I'm studying is important, but everything seems so boring. You, for example, find stones and plants interesting!"

"Hey, but they are much more interesting than you think!" she corrected him immediately.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you" in fact, Pedro was startled by her reaction, she was always so careful and discreet in the way she spoke, but he also remembered how angry she   
was the day he met her.

"Okay ..." she closed her eyes and shook her head, having a sudden idea "are you busy now?"

"To read this book, no, why?" he was curious.

"Let's go out for a while and I can show you how interesting plants and stones are" Leopoldina demanded -"I will show you things you don't know."

"What?" Pedro couldn't hold his laugh "do you think I don't know my own country?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you're Portuguese" Leopoldina pointed out, with a superior air.

"Smarty pants" Pedro replied with wounded pride, but a second later, accepted the sudden invitation.

Leopoldina accepted that he drove and together they went to the Botanical Garden, where she promised to know much more about the flora of Brazil than her driver.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Pedro didn't want to admit it, but he had to give his Austrian friend a helping hand. He himself had never been to the Botanical Gardens, and so, no matter how hard he was trying to follow the signs to the place, he felt a little lost.

"If you don't know the way, it costs nothing to use the GPS" Leopoldina said trying to help, but with a touch of conviction, which didn't go unnoticed by Pedro.

"Are you saying that I don't know how to walk in my own city? " he provoked "seriously, this is too much, is that I never went there, and besides, I live here much longer than you!"

"That's why you should know the way, you're right, I don't know how to walk in the city" she smiled condescendingly, which irritated her friend and she decided to police herself a little more, after all, she didn't want to lose her driver "it's okay , Pedro, thanks for taking my challenge, anyway."

Pedro didn't know how to answer that, he was surprised by Leopoldina's light way of dealing with that unusual situation. A little calmer, he decided to follow her advice and use the GPS. Finally, they arrived at the Garden, looking for a place to park.

It was a calm day of visits there, if they had come another day, they would probably see a group of students on tour. Even with that breathless opportunity that came from Pedro's provocation, Leopoldina was happy to have an excuse to go to the Garden, and for now be right there. Since she arrived in Brazil, she wanted to pay a visit to the place.

As they entered the place, which had a refreshing air of forest and nature, Pedro had to admit that it wasn't that bad. Having some memories of his childhood taken away, he started to laugh alone.

"What's funny?" asked Leopoldina, a little wary.

"Nothing, I just remembered when I was a child" he replied promptly "I loved walking in the woods, running, jumping, climbing trees and of course, falling from them."

"It seems that we both like trees then" she noted "but in a different way."

"Really differently," he nodded, still laughing.

With that, Pedro felt more willing to be guided by Leopoldina, having the patience to listen to her and learn more about Brazilian plants, their properties, their years of life, the importance they had for everyone. He learned more from her than he would ever learn in college. Here was the key to understanding why she liked to study and learn so much.

"So, this place was built and designed to house the most typical specimens of Rio de Janeiro" he concluded after the explanations "but where exactly did this idea come from?"

"Ah I'm glad you asked that question" she smiled, excited "asking is a good sign, you are interested and wanting to learn more. Well, the Republicans who made a revolution in Brazil and took power thought it best to make Rio more civilized, like Europe, it was a way to show other nations that this was a sophisticated country too."

"Not as sophisticated as you think" Pedro crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"What you mean?" Leopoldina didn't understand the context of the sentence.

"Well, many Brazilians think that Europe is much better, more chic, more cultured, but in the end ... at least, that's what I realize! he sighed before proceeding "the people here like it more relaxed and informal to live in, not that culture doesn't match Brazil, far from it, but people should see the value that this country has."

"I hadn't thought from that perspective" Leopoldina replied, reflecting "I never stopped to think about it."

"But you are different, you even value plants and stones" he joked again, this time being more malleable "and now I understand why you like it so much, there is much more behind it than I think is common, and I had no idea of that, and now I know, thanks to you, so ..."

"So what?" She was curious, trying to anticipate what he was trying to say.

"Thanks for that, and I'm sorry for offending you" he said sincerely.

"What? Are you apologizing? No, this can only be a dream" she laughed, which made Pedro wince "I didn't know you were capable of that ..."

"Wow, Pold, I thought we were getting along, how can you think so badly of me?" he replied in a tone of indignation, but taking everything as a joke.

"Hey, don't call me Pold, that's what my sister calls me" she was surprised by the way he called her "okay, you're not that bad, in fact, you're really nice, for having me brought here, I had wanted to come to the Garden for a long time."

"Hum, since I brought you, can I call you Pold for that? It's a nice way to return the favor" Pedro continued to joke.

"Okay, it can be" she laughed and finally got a little more serious "but now, really speaking, thanks for the walk."

"You are welcome, and I thank you for the free explanations" Pedro smiled "could I still ask you for one more thing?"

"Okay, since you have been so nice" she replied.

"Could you help me study with the most difficult subjects, just until I get my grades back, at least?" Pedro had some difficulty in diminishing his pride and asking for help.

"Of course, it will be a pleasure" she readily accepted, since she loved teaching and had become friends with Pedro.

They walked a little more through the Garden, before leaving the place, with lovely memories of that afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with this story, updates will be every Saturday afternoon.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Pedro was right to trust Leopoldina as his kind of tutor, it was amazing how easily she understood the subjects she had just learned, related to his course, and even more incredible was the way she managed to explain everything to him in an interesting way. That was how the two students spent a good time together, the time they were at home at the same time, they used to study. Of course, sometimes their subjects were a little changed, Pedro told about Brazil and Leopoldina about Austria, they compared together how things were changed in Europe since part of the Bragança family had moved from Portugal.

Accustomed to this routine, Leopoldina began to anticipate the moments she spent with Pedro, the afternoons when they talked, laughed, argued, it was almost perfect. Perfect because she loved a good intellectual conversation, and her friend, even though he wasn't exactly the most intellectual of men, was really willing to learn, in addition to having a charm of his own that showed when they changed the subject. Not that Pedro flirted with her, on the contrary, he was very respectful, perhaps because she was a special guest in his house, but he was kind and funny, he managed to distract her in a good way, giving a little leisure to her thinking mind. And that was all that Pedro had in mind for her, until the Austrian realized that, maybe she was feeling something more than the friendship for the young Portuguese man.

A little distracted, reflecting on exactly that, Leopoldina was taken by surprise by a call from her sister. She had a huge smile when she met Maria Luísa.

"Hi, you haven't called for a while, I started to get worried, this isn't the Leopoldina I know" the older sister demanded of her.

"Uh ... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for that, it wasn't my intention" Leopoldina noticed his slip and tried to retract himself "it's that I was busy with my studies and to be honest, it's not just my studies that are taking my time, I'm helping Pedro too ..."

"Wait, Pedro, the same Pedro son of the ambassador, who was kind of ... inconvenient with you when he picked you up at the airport? Why exactly are you helping him?" Maria Luísa remembered the way her sister had described the boy in previous conversations that the two had, very different from someone Leopoldina would approach.

"It turns out that he is nicer than he looks, I mean, the day I arrived he was in a bit of a hurry and everything, it was a terrible mess, but he was very kind to me the rest of the days" Pold was telling "ok he really has a rough way, but he has a good heart, these days we even went out together ..."

"Did you go out together? Are you liking this guy? Leopoldina, don't hide the truth from me!" Luísa demanded, thinking that her sister was hiding much more things from her.

"What? No, that's not what you're thinking, you're wrong, no, that's not it" - the youngest despaired, surprising even herself "you got it wrong."

"Then explain it to me please" Luísa wanted to understand what was happening.

"Okay, what happened was that Pedro asked me for help with his studies, I became a kind of tutor for him, and we went together to the Botanical Garden, we talked about botany, naturally" Leopoldina managed to calm down and told her what had happened.

"Is that all that's happened?" Luísa still had doubts.

"Yes, I guarantee it is, but ..." the youngest sighed "stopping to think, I don't know ... I think maybe ... you're right ..."

"Do you think you like this boy?" the sister wanted to know, expecting sincerity.

"I think so, Luísa, I think so" Leopoldina said with all the letters, admitting to herself the feeling that she was beginning to develop inside her.

"Well, anyway, I just ask you to be careful and not do anything stupid" asked Luísa "don't forget the main reason you went to Brazil, your studies and your exchange, okay? Don't let anything get in the way."

"Don't worry, you know me, I won't forget" Leopoldina guaranteed.

"I trust you, sis, you are full of common sense, and you won't lose that easily" Luísa completed "if you need me, don't forget that I am here."

"I know, always, I will also be here" the youngest smiled, grateful for the support.

"Take care Pold, I love you" Luísa said goodbye.

"I will, I love you too Luísa, bye" Leopoldina hung up.

Her sister had left her with much more to think about. She couldn't deny it, it was the truth, she had fallen in love with Pedro, but what that would mean in the future, in no way could Leopoldina predict.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Through her tired mind, Leopoldina fell asleep at once, but her last thoughts before falling asleep were about Pedro and admitting to herself that she liked the boy.

Pedro was also resting, since the next day, he was waiting to receive a special invitation from his father. In the morning, Dr. João organized many questions from the embassy, but his afternoon was reserved for a courtesy trip to São Paulo. Other dignitaries from different countries would come to Brazil, disembarking in the country's largest city. Even though he lived in Rio de Janeiro for a long time, Dr. João knew exactly what it was like to be an international representative, a foreigner in that land so far from Europe and the rest on the other side of the Atlantic, so he would be a kind of guide for visitors.

Taking advantage of all this articulation, he thought it was good for Pedro to observe all this and learn something, even with the great possibility that he might not be an ambassador one day. The young man got ready, after another morning of studies with Leopoldina, saying goodbye to her, almost leaving his home.

"I hope you have a good trip" she said with an embarrassed little smile, typical of a girl in love.

"Thank you very much, Leo" he said, almost realizing it, considering if it would be safe to wink at her, even so, he winked.

She hid the involuntary sigh that came. There was no doubt, she was in love with Pedro Bragança, to the point of acting like a silly teenager.

"Who knows one of these days we could go to São Paulo too " he offered, trying to get her out of her trance.

"I would love to continue to know Brazil" she said, with another sweet smile.

Without another word, Pedro gave her one last wave, she watched him leave the house, clearly excited. In a brief moment, Dr. João also noticed Leopoldina's gaze on them and waved to the young woman, who answered him in the same way. She hoped that his trip would be very productive and that if possible, they could return quickly, so that she could spend more time with Pedro.

The capital of the neighboring state of Rio de Janeiro remained busy, with its traffic jams and traffic setbacks, which didn't give even the Braganças a respite. Even with a little impatience, Pedro's mood improved when he and his father reached their final destination in São Paulo.

Before going to the Secretariat for International Relations, they rested for a while at the hotel. João would have a long meeting ahead of him and he also wanted his son to accompany him as his personal assistant, for that, the two would have to be well rested and willing.

Even so, Pedro being the energetic man he always was, he slept for an hour and decided to go out, exploring the city he didn't know as well as Rio on his own.

He walked through several busy and long streets on a walking tour, greeting anyone who found him, even though people might find it strange. The boy was naturally friendly and got along with people, and besides, he liked meeting new people, especially making new friends. Before he got too distracted, he remembered his commitments to his father, returning to the Secretariat just before the meeting began.

"Oh good that you are here, I thought you would be late" commented João when meeting him.

"Your lack of faith in me hurts me a lot, Dad" the young man made a face of disapproval "but anyway, I promised that I would behave on this trip, and anyway, I'm already here."

João just smiled, understanding his son's way once again.

Present dignitaries came to greet the Braganças and they took their place. Right next to them, there was another pair that they didn't know.

Francisco de Castro and his sister, Domitila, were there for the same reasons as João and Pedro. Francisco, a man in his early 30s, had just been appointed secretary, representative of one of the cities in the interior of São Paulo. A little intimidated that this was his first meeting, he thought about calling his sister to accompany him. Very few things were capable of frightening Domitila and a bunch of politicians and secretaries didn't fit that list, so as much as she understood the seriousness of the situation and behaved as such, she was feeling relaxed and at ease.

Pedro noticed her immediately, exchanging a quick look with Domitila and that brief gesture, already made the boy think about the possibilities that could come if he had the opportunity to talk to the young woman alone. For him, she was beautiful, she had impeccable pink skin, her long dark hair fell over her shoulders, her eyes had a dark greenish tone, a rare thing that Pedro had never seen. He stopped watching her when the meeting started, as much as he was interested in that stranger, he also knew about the responsibilities and expectations his father had for him.

Domitila and Pedro listened to the dignitaries, he wrote down what he found interesting, even understanding what they were saying and explaining, thanks to his private lessons with Leopoldina. Remembering the Austrian made Pedro smile, his studious friend would love to be in his place, he made a mental note to tell what he could about the meeting as soon as he returned to Rio.

When the meeting ended, Pedro was quick, catching up with Domitila before she left. The girl, on the other hand, noticing the handsome boy on her trail, didn't hesitate to turn to face him and listen to what he had to say.


End file.
